Erin Andrews fires back at sports personalities after holiday comments backlash

Jenna Laine — a reporter covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for ESPN — explained that Andrews’ comments prompted her to think about others dealing with more difficult situations.

“Saw Erin Andrews’ remarks about the challenges in this business…starting out making $40K a year and not having holidays. I appreciate what she’s trying to say, but let’s consider the folks working 2-3 jobs in retail, in warehouses and in the service industry right now, just trying to make ends meet,” Laine wrote on X. “They’re not getting time with their families either. This would be a dream for them. Some people have lost jobs and are living out of their cars as we speak, or they don’t know how they’re going to keep the lights on or put food on the table. Their kids won’t get anything for Christmas. I mean, we actually get FED on the job. I appreciate her hustle and that of my peers. But let’s have some perspective.”

Laine, who noted that she respects Andrews, explained that her remarks on her podcast sparked a larger conversation online.

“And this warrants repeating…but I totally wasn’t trying to single Erin out in a bad way and I have a lot of respect for her,” Laine wrote. “I don’t think she was asking for pity. It’s more just us all collectively recognizing that while our jobs can make things feel lonely (I know I’ve felt that way in all the years I’ve been stuck in airports on Christmas Day, or when I longed to have normal holidays as a kid myself), we can acknowledge the realities others are facing in this moment too. Happy Thanksgiving, all.”

Trey Wingo, a former NFL host at ESPN from 1997-2020, chimed in.

“That’s literally what they pay you for,” Wingo posted on X, including a headline about Andrews’ remarks.

“Erin said it herself once: they pay you for the travel and the sacrifices because doing the games is the fun part.”

Andrews replied, “It sure is Trey. And I’m sure you went back and saw that I wasn’t complaining about working. I’m sure you saw it was a segment where we answer questions from people.

“Young woman asking abt being a sideline reporter. What to know about it. What you miss. My whole point its not just abt wanting to be on camera and hanging with athletes. You have to work and love it. And deal with overreactions to click bait.”

“Hey click bait. First of all Happy Thanksgiving. Second of all how am I under fire?” Andrews wrote to Kleiman.

“I’m saying you have to love the job bc you miss a lot in your life. Which I do and have. You seem to have missed the whole clip! See you for Packers at Lions!”

Andrews is working the sideline for the Packers-Lions game on Thanksgiving Day as a part of the Fox Sports’ No. 1 game booth, including play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt and color commentator Tom Brady.

Andrews emphasized to Laine and Wingo to watch the entire clip to get the full context of what she was saying.

“This is what one of my first professors said, ‘If you don’t want to make $40,000 in your first job, get out. If you don’t want to be told you need a nose job, get out. If you don’t want to be divorced, get out. If you don’t want to work holidays, get out,’” Andrews recalled.

“And I don’t say it like that, but I say you got to love what you do because I miss all holidays. I didn’t get married until I was in my 40s. Not that that is going to be your route, but I live out of a suitcase. I miss a lot of stuff. I missed a lot of weddings. I miss a lot of events. You have to love it to get you through the fact, ‘I’m not gonna be home for Thanksgiving next week’ or ‘Christmas is cut short.’”

Andrews worked at ESPN from 2004 to 2012, and left to work for Fox Sports.